‘Sherlock Holmes’ replaces Microsoft as ‘Family Guy’ sponsor

Warner Bros. has assumed the spot Microsoft vacated last week in sponsoring a TV special from “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane.

FOX announced during the World Series this weekend that Warner Bros.’ new Robert Downey Jr. blockbuster, “Sherlock Holmes,” is sponsoring “Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show” at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 8 on FOX, according to Wired. Microsoft canceled its sponsorship last week after watching a rough cut of the special, co-hosted by MacFarlane and “Family Guy” co-star Alex Borstein.

“We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of ‘Family Guy,'” a Microsoft spokesperson said last week, “but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand.”

Courtesy of FOX

The “Family Guy” family.

Microsoft’s sponsorship was part of a larger integrated campaign that uses “Family Guy” characters and programming to promote the company’s new operating system, Windows 7. The pull-out doesn’t affect other aspects of the partnership, a Microsoft spokesperson told seattlepi.com last week.

Microsoft initially billed its sponsorship of the commercial-free MacFarlane special as a return to the integrated TV advertising of the 1950s and ’60s. The special was set to include Windows 7 promotions during the program.

But, apparently MacFarlane’s popular brand of raunchy humor was too much for Microsoft.

I have to wonder: Had anyone on the Windows 7 marketing team actually watched an episode of “Family Guy” before striking the FOX deal?